Scottish Players Championship
Robert Thornton defeated Dennis Priestley 6-5 in the final of Saturday's Scottish Players Championship.
The local star took the £6,000 first prize in Irvine with a resilient display in the final to edge out the two-time World Champion.
Thornton ended the hopes of new Scottish rival Gary Anderson, on his PDC debut, and also defeated Mark Frost, fellow Scot Jamie Harvey and Colin Monk in reaching the quarter-finals, where he edged past Wayne Jones 6-5.
He then powered to a 6-2 victory against Tony Eccles to reach the final, which proved a close affair.
The game's first five legs went with the throw to leave Thornton 3-2 up, and a break put the Stevenson star two legs clear.
Priestley hit 180s in the next two legs in levelling, but Thornton took out a two-dart 96 finish to move a leg away from the win.
Another 180 from Priestley, his fourth of the final, helped him to a 14-darter as the game went into a decider.
Priestley landed another maximum to open the final leg, but scores of 135 and 140 pushed Thornton to a finish, and he took out 68 in two darts for the win.
"I'm over the moon," said Thornton. "It means a lot to win in front of my family and friends in Irvine and it's a great moment in my career.
"It was a really tough day and Dennis never gave in but I got there in the final leg."
He added: "It's great that Gary Anderson's joined the PDC but it was nice to get first blood in our battle to be the Scottish number one!"
Anderson defeated Chris Mason, Colin McGarry and Sean Palfrey to reach the last 16 in his first PDC Pro Tour event since joining the PDC last month.
Priestley returned from a month's break to reach his first final since October with a typically gritty display.
He enjoyed 6-4 wins against Owen Caffrey, John MaGowan and Michael van Gerwen, went to a deciding leg against Jamie Caven and James Wade and then saw off Andy Smith 6-2 in the semis.
